Resources for gifted individuals and their families. A blog by International Centre for the Gifted & Talented (Hong Kong).

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Monthly Archives: December 2012

Ever since the beginning of ICGT, people came to us for the right solutions to their problems. These may be concerned with identification of intellectual functioning, interventions to address underachievement or unmet needs, interpersonal challenges, suboptimal development, untreated learning or mood issues impairing personal growth or relationship, college or career choice, coping with challenges in life transitions and the like.

Be alert to what exactly is bothering the people to reach out for possible solutions.

Seriously, I learnt a lot from our clients. Not only did their issues urge our team to advance our knowledge, skills and personal growth, the on-going learning and reflection led us to become constantly alert.

My hunch is, people are not really able to tell what problems most bothering to them. The most common scenarios would be asking for professional advice to solve, like when, which, where and how to do something, such as providing accommodation for supporting the exceptional needs of their children.

In fact, the parents are not sure what support their kid and family need to overcome the fear, challenges or the like. Behind the solutions the clients appear to search for, there are other issues going on bothering them. Yet, people are not used to spending time on reflecting. What makes their life complete, what is the burning needs in their life, what is most satisfying or regretful to oneself…. These questions, once unattended for a long period of time, will give rise to other sets of problems bringing disproportional stress to us.

Are there solutions to ease the challenges of growing up gifted or bringing up the gifted?

Well, yes and no.

Yes, there are solutions to lots of problems commonly arise in raising up gifted children.

No, there isn’t a single solution out there that can give sustainable peace of mind to people.

It is plainly because peace of mind doesn’t come with solutions to certain problems. Peace of mind is a state of soul focusing on the most important thing in one’s journey of life. The quality of solution is pretty much predicted by the quality of the problems we concern. If these problems are peripheral to the the most important concern of our inner self, any solutions we quest or reach will not bring any sustainable impact.

Professional development

Over the past ten years, I kept taking professional training programs for self advancement and career development. I thought I had developed a spectrum of sound solutions to tackle the questions or challenges commonly concerned with the functioning of the gifted in their learning and development in school, at home and with the wider community.

Interestingly, peace of mind or self contentment doesn’t really rest in finding the solutions to daily issues. The most fundamental thing is to be in touch with the blessing we are endowed sinceour birth. Once that abundance of life became distant in our conscious mind, we shall be anxious about something missing and eager to identify that something. Of course, effort to find that something will be in vain.

Bottom line: practise the discipline of gratitude

The most proactive way to solve our daily challenges is to keep at least 30% of our time to count how much blessing we have received that day, to say the least.